The Free Speech movement was led by Mario Savio and others at the University of California in Berkley. The movement began when the university decided to restrict students' rights to distribute literature and to recruit volunteers for political causes on campus grounds (which backfired as the protesters quickly targeted campus matters as well.).
The students at Berkley were dissatisfied with practices at their university. The University officials divided huge classes into sections to be taught by undergrad students. Many Professors claimed they were too busy with research to meet students an rules were constantly being added or changed by faceless administrators. These rules were hard to obey and met with harsh punishment. feeling isolated and violated many of Berkley's student rallied behind the Free Speech movement.
The Free Speech Movement held a campus wide sit-in on Dec. 2, 1964 with a powerful speech by Savio. Early the next morning, 600 police officers arrested more than 700 protesters.
These arrests set off even larger protests. within days, a campus-wide strike stopped classes and many members of the faculty also voice their support for the Free Speech Movement. Soon after this display the Supreme Court ruled in an unanimous vote that the students had the right to the freedom of speech and to peaceably assemble on campus.
The Free Speech Movement serves as a model for many other protest movements to this day.
The students at Berkley were dissatisfied with practices at their university. The University officials divided huge classes into sections to be taught by undergrad students. Many Professors claimed they were too busy with research to meet students an rules were constantly being added or changed by faceless administrators. These rules were hard to obey and met with harsh punishment. feeling isolated and violated many of Berkley's student rallied behind the Free Speech movement.
The Free Speech Movement held a campus wide sit-in on Dec. 2, 1964 with a powerful speech by Savio. Early the next morning, 600 police officers arrested more than 700 protesters.
These arrests set off even larger protests. within days, a campus-wide strike stopped classes and many members of the faculty also voice their support for the Free Speech Movement. Soon after this display the Supreme Court ruled in an unanimous vote that the students had the right to the freedom of speech and to peaceably assemble on campus.
The Free Speech Movement serves as a model for many other protest movements to this day.